Dawning Dreams
by AmandaFaye
Summary: What better place to cure a broken heart that Chicago Hope? A bit of magic will wake a sleeping beauty.
1. Default Chapter

Dawning Dream

When the darkness finally enfolded her, the girl never knew it. The world had once been in technicolor, vibrant if thorny at times. Her dreams had been her companions both in sleep and awake. Then, she got too close. If she had just continued the journey, all would have been well, but like Lot's wife, she learned that looking back was a mistake, Gradually her world greyed, the colors and hopes leeching out of it. But slowly, so slowly she could not percieve the miniscule second by second shifts. Her being began to feel like a foot held in one spot too long, descending to sleep. It did not surprise her not to wake one morning. Being trapped inside herself was something she knew well by this time. Seven years after turning her back on something precious.

Yet, no one had percieved her change as bad. They had said Sarah was so calm, docile, and pleasant now. Her flights of fancy had taken wing on their own, leaving behind a girl who was blind and deaf and didn't realize it because she thought she could see and hear.

Then, four years after returning from the Labyrinth, or more specifically, four years after she left Jareth, Sarah had a very real and large reason to be sad.

Her route home from college took her past Toby's preschool, so she would just stop and pick him up and bring him home. Some afternoons, they'd have mini adventures. The two had grown close since she'd almost lost him. That day, she stopped in at the library with him, then they cut through the park to watch the autumn leaves fall. And as always, Sarah looked for a white owl in the daytime.

When they reached their home, a slight tingle in the air warned Sarah something was wrong. At first, she was pissed, she could hear Merlin going nuts in the garage. He was still a bone of contention with the two women. Then, the door opened, without placing the key in the lock. A knot formed in the girl's throat. "Toby, stay here, " she instructed, edging herself in the least space of the door possible, intending to shut it behind her until she knew it was safe. Visions of goblins danced in her head, but it was worse than that. Much worse. Time reordered on its own, slowing down to a crawl, forcing her to look at the horror for long, long moments before the impact hit her, pushing a scream out of her lungs. This could not be happening. She did not hear Toby push his way in, but she did hear his shrieks and the sirens when a neighbor came over and called 911.

It had not been goblins or fieries or anything supernatural. In fact, in that moment, Sarah gave up on the supernatural. If Jareth was real, why hadn't he heard her scream? He must just be a dream, and not a very good one. Yet, she still read her old read book often as she could bear, and once had made little notes in it, changing the fiction to better fit the truth.

Karen had been married before Sarah's dad. Her ex had been violent, abusive. That had explained some of Karen's difficultness. He'd not taken the break up well, and as soon as he got out of prison where he'd lived since being arrested for domestic violence, come looking for her and her new husband. Sheer luck had timed the "visit" while both kids were away. Luck had run out though, allowing Sarah to walk in on a double murder and suicide. Near as could be reconstructed, the lunatic had found Karen and Bob Williams at home, when Sarah's dad had come home for an surprise lunch with his wife.

And there would be no justice. He was dead as his victims, a merciful end.

Surprisingly, Linda Williams had stepped in to help. Her Chicago home was opened to Sarah and Toby. In the last ten years, Linda had managed to grow up and wanted a new chance with her child, and even with the son who was not hers. Once, Sarah would have been thrilled to be with her idolized mother again. Once.

For the next three years, Sarah put on the show of her life. She faked normal well enough to avoid seeing a shrink. Real or not, she could not risk letting something slip and telling a stranger about the Underground.

Sarah and Linda got along well enough, managing to schedule their lives so that Toby was never alone. He'd even taken to calling Linda Miss Ma. Eventually, he might forget his real parents completely the psychologist had said.

To avoid that, Sarah, Linda also, had regularly shown him pictures and told him what they could. Keeping that little boy emotionally healthy was a priority to both of them. Linda desperately wanted a second chance to be a mom, Toby represented that. Sarah could avoid her own pain by tending to him.

The pain did not want to be avoided. It still haunted her at night, spinning dreams she could get lost in until, one night, she did. The next morning, Toby bounced into her room to watch cartoons; Sarah would let him wake her up early for that on Saturday morning, so the main tv wouldn't wake Linda. As a teacher now, her days and nights were longer than ever.

At first, the little boy thought his sister was sleeping hard, but she was too still. So, he poked her, at the first commercial. Nothing. "Sawah? Sissy?" She was cold, so he bent down like he'd seen doctors on tv doing and listened to her chest. Did he hear something? What was he supposed to hear? Scared by now, he bolted from her room and burst into Miss Mama's room.

"Mama, mama, Sawah's dead!" he yelled before bursting into tears.

Linda took a minute to process this, then shaking off sleep, followed him to her daughter's room. She tried shaking her awake, then checked for a pulse. It was there. "She's not dead, but I don't know why she won't wake up." Taking a deep breath, she said, "Toby, go get dressed. I'- no I'll call the ambulance. It'd be better for them to take her. I - I could hurt her." With difficulty, she calmed shaking hands and dialed the number for Chicago Hope, then waited.

Her daughter- she couldn't lose this second chance with her. It wouldn't be... fair.

An eternity later, Sarah's still form was hustled through the emergency while Linda forced herself to be patient and answer all kinds of inane questions. A nice looking doctor came through, catching sight of Toby, he stopped.

"What's going on, Camile?" he asked the nurse.

"Jeffery, hi. Ms. Williams' daughter was just admitted for tests. She's comatose, no evidence of pills or trauma. Right now, just randome paperwork. " She caught his look at Toby. "The girl's brother. "

"Looks to be about Christina's age. She's in my office with the trains. If this is going to take a while, he can wait there with her."

Linda hesitated. "It's going to be hours," Camille said gently.

Nodding, Linda handed her stepson to Jeff Geiger.

"He'll be find, " Camille assured her. "Jeffery has a wonderful way with kids, and Christina's a sweet little girl. "

Hours passed blindly. Then, another nurse or maybe it was a lady doc, came and escorted Linda to a small office occupied by a bald older man who reeked of authority and stability, a perpetually mournful looking scrub clad doctor, and the guy from earlier, Jeff Gieger. None of them looked happy.

"Ms. Williams," the administrative type said, "oh, pardon me, I'm Phillip Waters, Aaron Shutt, our lead brain surgeon is over there, and Dr. Geiger said you two had met. " After she nodded, he went on. "There is no reason for your daughter to be in a coma. Her blood work is normal. Every kind of X ray, Mri, etc, is negative, clear. In short, she is in perfect health. We don't know what's wrong. This is not something I like to admit, but it is what it is."

Geiger spoke up then. "So, I was thinking, how happy is Sarah?"

Linda blinked. "She seems - okay, I guess. Her father and stepmother," she paused, "were killed a few years ago. She was shocked, but recovered. I had little contact with her before that, I am sorry to say."

Jeff nodded. "I'm thinking it's a form of dissociative disorder. She's hiding from something inside herself, and we have to reach her before she'll wake up."

"How?"

Dr. Waters regained control. "That is where you come in- helping us find out what Sarah is hiding from so she can come back to herself. "

Linda shook her head, clearly bewildered. "She keeps to herself so much, I can never tell what's going on in her head."

"Has she always been like that?" Dr. Shutt asked.

A redness crept up Linda's cheeks. "I have no idea." She swallowed. "I had big dreams once, dreams that didn't die just because I married and had Sarah. Though I was with Sarah until she was ten, I was never there for her or my husband. When we divorced, I hardly ever saw Sarah until some lunatic killed Robert and Karen, my husband's second wife. Ex husband's. And there was no where for Sarah or Toby to go but to me. It was a second chance. In the seven years between my leaving and that nightmare, I grew up and realized what I gave up. But I don't know who Sarah was before she came back in my life."

"What about Toby? Would he have any memory of a different Sarah?" Jeff asked.

"I don't want to involve him- he's just a baby, really," Linda protested.

The doctors exchanged looks before Geiger spoke again. "Linda, I promise, I can talk to him in a way that won't terrify him. Look, we'll try a couple of other things first, but if she's not shown improvement in twenty four hours, will you let me talk to Toby?"

Torn, Linda nodded reluctantly.

Jeff smiled. "Aaron, Phillip, I think I can handle things from here."

Phillip smiled thinly. "Jeffery, your office is being used as a playroom at the moment."

Not missing a beat, he shot back, "Thanks for letting us borrow yours, Phil."

The two stared each other down a moment, then Waters gave up, escorting Aaron Shutt out of the room. "Fifteen minutes, Jeffery."

"Unless I need more," he retorted to the closed door.

For those fifteen minutes, Jeffery grilled Linda on anything she might know of that Sarah enjoyed. Books someone could read to her. Music, anything.

"She doesn't seem to like music," Linda shook her head.

Jeffery looked horrified. "Not like music?"

"Well, not exactly. She seems to be searching for something in music that she can't find. I've seen her turn on songs, listen for a minute, look disappointed, and shut it off. Once she even said, 'that's not it'. The only music she really enjoys is a music box she has."

"Bring it. Maybe I can identify the song and find a CD of it to play on constant loop in her room. If not, a nurse can come in every fifteen minutes and wind it up."

Though Linda hated to think how the nurses would react to that, she brought in the little box. Sarah had never said where she got it, but it was a clear treaure of hers.

Geiger wound it up, very thoughtfully. It played once, twice. "I've never heard it before," he said in consternation.

Waters had wandered over to them by this time, a look of amusement on his face, despite the seriousness of the moment. "A song the great Jeffery Geiger has never heard. That is a first."

Linda looked confused.

"Jeffery is our resident musician. If you can stand the sight of blood, feel free to sit in on the observation room next time he does surgery..." he trailed off, looking guilty.

"Might be a long wait, there," Jeff commented with deliberate mildness. Neither man explained that since Jeff had lost a friend on the table, he'd vowed never to operate again. Now he worked in the less bloody aspects of medicine. Consulting on cases and providing therapy where he could. "However, if we can find words, maybe I'll give the nurses a break and give Sarah a concert."

Relieved the tense moment passed, Phillip nodded. "Yes, that would be a wonderful idea."

Twenty four hours later, Linda returned to Chicago Hope. As a teacher in a school for autism, she couldn't take off unless absalutely necessary. The disruption of a sub would be damaging, and there really was nothing for her to do for Sarah.

She wandered into the sterile room just as the doctor broke into a new song.

"There was a time, when men were kind And their voices were soft And their words were inviting There was a time, when love was blind And the world was a song And the song was exciting There was a time it all went wrong I dreamed a dream in time gone by When hope was high and life worth living I dreamed that love would never die I dreamed that God would be forgiving Then I was young and unafraid And dreams were made and used and wasted There was no ransom to be paid No song unsung, no wine untasted But the tigers come at night With their voices soft as thunder As they turn your hope apart As they turn your dreams to shame He slept a summer by my side He filled my dreams with endless wonder He took my childhood in his stride But he was gone when autumn came And still I dream he'd come to me That we would live the years together But there are dreams that cannot be And there are storms we cannot weather I had a dream my life would be So different from the hell I'm living So different now from what it seemed Now life has killed the dream I dreamed "

Until the last note faded, Linda stood spellbound by the rich, tortured voice. Lost in the song, he never heard her enter until the spell was past. Then, Geiger's eyes cleared. "Didn't hear you come in. Sleeping Beauty hasn't woken up, but when her song plays, there is some reaction on the monitors. A positive one, judging by the chemicals released in her blood as it plays. That song is some kind of key. "

"Toby is in the waiting room, " Linda replied, though the question was not asked. "I told him that Sarah needed his help. I even used the Sleeping Beauty line."

"Disney version or the original?" Jeff quipped.

"Disney. He's too young to hear about evil mothers in law turning people into goats. " Immediately, she felt guilty for almost being happy for a moment while her child lay there, lost inside herself.

But she voiced none of that, just followed the doctor to where Toby waited, then to Geiger's office.

"Can I play with the trains again?" he asked innocently.

"Not right now, Toby," Jeff smiled. "I need to ask you some questions. Do you remember much of before you and Sarah moved here?"

He shook his head.

"So, the way Sarah was a few days ago is how you always remember her being?"

"Yeah."

Linda poked him, "Toby."

"Yes sir," he sighed tiredly.

"Had that arguement with Christina too," Jeff smiled. "Okay, Toby. One more question, unless I think of another one. Aside from the music box,"

"The one that plays the goblin song?" the little boy asked.

"Goblin song?" both adults asked.

Toby hummed it, off key, but recognizeably.

"I didn't know that was the name of it," Linda frowned.

"Sarah plays it when she wants to think about the goblin king," Toby said with authority. "The guy in the Labyrinth." He failed to notice how lost the two adults looked.

Jeff recovered quickly. "Tell us all about it-"

Before Toby could say a word, Camille stuck her head in, "Jeffery, the staff shrink wants permission to visit Sarah Williams."

A look of rage flickered in his eyes. "I'll be back," he said, unconciously imitating the Terminator. Stepping outside, he stormed to where the balding, colorfully clad psychologist waited patiently.

"Look, you nutcase. Stay out of my patients' rooms, especially that one. I don't want your guitar in there. And Camille, if he tells you to dress up like Dorothy Gale and go down the yellow brick road or anything else, let me know so I can use his head for a golf ball." Turning on his heel, Jeff went back to his office, leaving a smug Camille and bewildered shrink standing there.

"Sorry for the interuption," he smiled as if nothing had happened. "Now, Toby. You were going to tell us about a Labyrinth or about Sarah's song?"

Toby nodded seriously. "Whenever Sarah gets lonely, she listens to the song. Sometimes she dances."

"Okay. Does the song have words?"

"I dunno. Maybe. Might be in her book."

"Book?" Jeff glanced at Linda.

"She has hundres of books," she hissed.

"Which book?" Jeff asked, trying to narrow it down.

Toby jumped up and opened his backpack. "This'un. When Mama Linda told me we was gonna visit Sarah and she might have to stay here, I knew she'd wan' her book. She reads it all the time." He stuck the red, battered volume out to Jeffery who was not too surprised to see the word Labyrinth written on it in gold. Glancing through it, he noted that in several places, there were red words written, as if the reader had wished to change the story. Towards the last half, he saw a page with a gold bookmark clipped to it, indicating that she wanted to be able to find it easily. A half smile played on his lips as he noticed saw a poem of sorts written next to a page describing a ball.

"Thank you Toby. I think you may have found something that will help."

"Sarah can come home?" he asked.

"Not just yet, but soon."  
  
"Can I play with Christina?" he asked.

"She's having a play day with Emily Krunk today. Maybe next time. Maybe Sarah will be awake next time," Jeff promised.

In the pause that followed, Linda looked at her watch. "I hate to leave without seeing her, but Toby does need to get home."

"Go on," Jeff told her. "There's really no point in waiting until she wakes up. And by the way, when she wakes, we will find a better head shrinker than that fruitcake who interupted by proxy. "

"Is he a Fiery?" Toby asked.

"A what?" Linda asked.

"Someone who tosses heads around," Toby explained. "Sarah told me about them."

"She's always reading him strange bedtime stories," Linda apologized.

"I don't think so, Tobe, but if you see one, ask 'm to come on over and I can give them some new toys."

Once the Williams were gone, Jeff took the book and sat down in Sarah's room. He'd read it in depth later, but for now...

Winding the music box, he began to sing with it, softly, "There's such a sad love deep in your eyes a kind of pale jewel open and closed in your eyes - I'll put the sky in your eyes. There's such a fooled heart beating so fast, in search of new dreams a love that will last..."

He sang it through twice, noting that her eyes did flutter, but somehow, he knew his voice was the wrong voice. His watch beeped, reminding him it was time to rescue Chrissie before Billy came home and tried to teach the two little girls hockey. "Okay, Miss Thing, I'll let you rest, for now." He sighed. "I wish whoever you are wishing was singing to you would come and do it. Unless it's one of those fire things Toby was telling me about. " With a sad smile, the doctor picked up the ancient bear Toby had insisted Sarah needed and tucked it in beside her before leaving the music still playing softly.

As the moon rose, a lone owl navigated the Chicago streets until it lighted outside Sarah's room window. Seeing her lying there in the dim light, it cocked its head, as if listening to the music that somehow never seemed to stop. Then, it flew off the ledge, backed up, and charged the window, passing through the glass effortlessly.

As the talons touched the tiled floor, they turned into black shod feet and the owl became a man who hadn't seen Sarah in person in many years. "She still listens," he mused softly. "This does not seem to be your home, Sarah," he added, waving a hand at the door, sealing it magically.

Then, the king of the goblins sat down in the abandoned chair beside her bed. Sarah slept on, never looking up to protest the lack of fairness or sass him. Tentatively, he touched her forehead. No reaction.

"Wake up, Sarah," he commanded softly. Yet, she was as ever disobedient.

Jareth frowned. He needed answers. Calling a crystal to hand, he looked into Sarah's past, seeing her lonely life in the crowds until she fell asleep days ago. With a sigh, Jareth accepted that this was his fault. A mortal who came into his lands and was as involved in them as Sarah had been should never return to live in the mortal world. She had been changed into someone who did not belong to this harsh world anymore. Magic had touched her, and without it, she was a shell. There were two cures. One was totally unthinkable, erase that segment of her life. Not only would that steal the maturity she had won in her battles, but it would make her forget him. Jareth would not allow that to happen.

The second would likely anger her, but he could take that. She would have to return home with him, she would have to accept the offer he once made when she was too young to understand or accept her feelings much less his own. And it would have to be soon. Mentally he looked at the clock in Tir na Og. The seven years would soon be completely up, and if she had not been woken by then, she would die.

Softly, he sang, "Just give up so we can be alone... my heart is calling , forever is in your hands, Sarah." Then, as in all good fairy tales, the handsome king gave the princess true love's first kiss and brought her back to life.

Sarah's eyes slowly opened, confusion flooding them. "Where am I?" Her gaze fell on him. "Is this an oubliette?"

He laughed softly. "I have no idea where we are, love. " There was a pause to let her yell at him for naming her so, but no yell came. "Someone called for me, and I came to find you in some sleep from which you could not wake. "

Sarah looked around. "It's not home. Can't see a thing. But you."

Jareth sent the lights a command to come on, and they obeyed. "I'm in the hospital," she gasped.

"A healing place, then," he asked, rhetorically. "Makes sense. Apparently, you could not wake. You were dying."

"But I haven't been sick," she wondered aloud.

Jareth took her hand. "Sarah, you have been sick, and- it's partly my fault." The last was hard to say. "No one but you and Toby have ever left the Underground to return home. "

"Is Toby all right," she gasped, trying to get up, and stopped by the IV pole.

"He's fine," Jareth soothed. "His interaction with the magic was marginal. If he was going to be ill, he'd be here, and as best I know, he's fine. Seven years have almost passed since you left. That's the time limit on how long you can last in this world. Had I not been so - troubled - at the results of our match, I would have kept you in that world, and you would never have been ill. "

This was a bit much to take in for the girl. "Why are you here?"

Understanding she was confused, he patiently reiterated, "Somehow, someone apparently knew you needed---me. And called for me." Another crystal appeared, one that could capture the last few words spoken before Jareth arrived and replay them. Jeff's tired voice re-sang the last notes, then "I wish whoever you are wishing was singing would come here and do it."

"That's not very specific," Sarah argued, and mentally the king grinned. If she could argue, Sarah would recover.

"Actually, it is. Had you wished for anyone other than I to sing, then if that person could be compelled by your wish they would be here. If not, you'd still be dying."

Heat on her face made her look away. "So I'm okay now?"

Jareth sighed. This was being so difficult. Had she been anyone else, he'd just take her, but not Sarah. "You are in remission. If I leave without you, you will return to that lost state."

"So I have to spend the rest of what, my life, eternity? with you?"

Her hardened eyes demanded the truth, and lying wasn't his way in any case. "Yes, to both. Not every moment, but yes. " He met her eyes, demanding equal truth. "Admit it, that's not so much to ask of you."

"How about you? How're you going to like having an albatross around your neck?" she shot back, avoiding the question.

"Hardly an albatross. A dove maybe. Sarah, don't be dense. I essentially asked you that seven years ago, to stay with me, forever. "

"So, refusing put a curse on me? And what kind of asking was that. Fear me, love me, do as I say?"

Jareth closed his eyes and counted to ten in five languages. "No, not a curse. The ancient tales of your world make it clear that if you leave your heart in the fey lands, you are bound there forever. But it is a bond you have put on yourself. No one else can do it to you." Trying to lighten the mood, went on, "I'll settle for one of the three."

"Huh?"

"Just love me, Sarah. Is it so much to ask for the love of the one you love?"

Still blurred by the coma, it took a moment for her to untangle the words to hear that he loved ... her.

"You love me?"

He nodded gravely. "And you?" Jareth knew the answer. This sickness would not have struck her if there was any answer but one.

Lying was impossible, and the truth, though hard to say, forced Sarah to nod. "You know I do."

"That is all I ask of you."

Blinking, she asked, "Did you know Andrew Lloyd Webber?"

"Who?" sounding much like his owl form.

With a tiny smile, she promised to sing it to him, someday, if music other than his was allowed.

"It is."

As he took her hand, intending to help her from bed, Sarah gasped. "Mom, Toby. How can I leave them?"

Though it was a complication, Jareth was pleased she cared. "I'll take you home to them to explain first. Then, we can leave." He saw something else in her eyes. "Your home is with me now, beloved. However, you may visit, from time to time. "

It was enough. Sarah did not want to leave with a gown giving a peep show to all, and Jareth agreed. All peep shows were to be for him alone. But changing the offensive gown to a simple shift, much like the one in which he'd first seen her, was a small effort. A moment later, they were in the middle of Linda's living room, listening to her shriek. Toby heard, came running, and threw his arms around Sarah. He looked up at the goblin king.

"Are you th' prince that waked Sar up?"

Jareth smiled. Obviously, the boy didn't recall their meeting. Pity. "Sarah is special enough that it took a king to wake her, not a prince."

Toby considered this. "Yeah, I guess so. She's cool for a girl."

Jareth laughed. "Tobias. Trust me, girls will soon be very cool."

The lad made a face, then thought about it. "Chrissie is cool too."

Linda recovered her voice by now. "Sarah? Whooo."

Sarah had reflexively grabbed the book as they orbed out. "Read this, mama. It's all true, at least the parts I filled in are. "

Jareth took over. "Ms. Williams, Sarah - I love your daughter. The time has come for her to come with me, but she can visit you and Toby. Coming to see her might not work well, but we shall see. I do promise, she will be happy. She is loved."

Toby spoke again. "It's okay, mama. "

No second name was added. Linda had graduated to just mama.

Jareth added. "I give you my word." The tone said volumes about how precious that was.

"Okay, but you 'd better not break her heart," Linda threatened. "And I want to be at the wedding. Oh ,no. how'm I going to explain to Jeffery?"

Jareth raised his brows, hearing worlds in the name. Linda would be happy as well. "I'll invite him to the wedding as well. Is he the one who sang my song to Sarah?"

Linda nodded, glad that mystery was solved.

"Tell him, " Jareth smiled, "he got his wish."

Then, they vanished into starlight.


	2. epilog

The Wish

Epilog to Dawning Dream

Making his ususal dawn rounds, Philip Waters decided to check on the one patient he had no idea if his doctors could help or not. Sarah Williams. Something about the girl touched his heart, reminding him of his lost son, that he could never help.

With a rose in hand, thinking of the power of the olfactory nerve, he stepped inside. It took a moment to register the empty bed, then he stepped out, turned on his heel and marched to the nurse's desk. "Camille, where is Sarah Williams?"

The former Mrs. Shutt blinked. "In her room of course."

"Did Aaron of Jeffery order some kind of early tests?" he persisted.

Sighing at men in general's density, Camille again stated that Sarah was in the room.

This was why he was bald, Philip decided. "Camille, I was just in there. Unless she's shrunk, she's not there."

Camille rolled her eyes, then strode into the room, looked around, then knocked on the bathroom door.

She exited, a bland expression on her face. "She's not there."

"I believe that has been established. The question remains where is she?"

"I'll call security. Maybe something on the cameras," the nurse suggested.

"I'll call Jeff," Waters stated, turning on his heel to return to his office, then paused. "If her mother calls- stall."

Before most of Chicago had had a cup of coffee, in either a china or cardboard cup, an impromptu staff meeting filled Philip's office.

"We've gone over the security tapes, and she's not on any of them," Krunk yawned.

"No one's seen her," Nyland added.

"Not even you?" Aaron snarked back.

"Hey, I never have- with a patient, at least not a comatose one!" The young doctor stepped as if to punch Aaron.

"Stand down," Waters snapped. "Nyland's 'love' life is not at issue, at the moment. Sarah Williams' location is. Jeff, you're the last doctor to see her, possibly the last person. Tell us about how she was when you left."

Jeffery shrugged. "Her brother found a book that had the song lyrics to the song on that music box of hers. So, I sang them."

Nyland and Krunk made faces which he ignored.

"She did react, but never opened her eyes. I left. End of story."

"Obviously not. Could she have snuck out somehow?" the chief of staff asked tiredly.

"Sure, " Jeff shrugged. "Remember that girl a few months back, the one on the fall program, not supposed to get out of bed? I caught her sneaking down to the chapel, the gift shop, anywhere to get away from Dr. Dinosaur. Hell, I helped her sneak."

"Did you?" Camille asked pointedly. "Help this girl?"

"No."

Camille hissed something under her breath.

"Yes, Camille?" Aaron inquired.

"I said, maybe Jeff's singing scared her into bolting."

Phillip interceded before there could be bloodshed. "That's enough. Right now, we have to find her, before she is hurt and keep this out of the press."

"Shouldn't we contact the press? " Diane Grad - Krunk asked. "If she's wandering out there alone, press coverage might find her sooner."

Glares silenced that option, and not a word was spoken until Jeff's phone buzzed. "Linda Williams," he announced. Then, heedless of Phillip's whispered advice, answered. "Good morning Mrs. - Linda. I was just going to call you-"

"Liar," Camille stated sotto voice.

A look of pure confusion crossed his face. "My what? My wish?" Blinking rapidly, he tried to recall what he'd wished for. At least as related to Sarah. A few heartbeats later, his face cleared. "And exactly how do I explain that? You are certain. All right. What, ah, yeah. I'd like that. My daughter has been asking about Toby. Okay." Hanging up, he stared at the faces looking at him in askance.

"Well?" Aaron prompted.

"Sarah is fine." Geiger rose, beginning to walk out of the room, but was blocked by Krunk and Nyland.

"I think you should explain," Phillip suggested.

"Apparently, she - " he paused, sorting words in his mind. "A friend showed up late last night. Night nurse must've just missed seeing - him. It was ah - just like a fairy tale. 'Handsome' prince arrives, wakes up the girl and - by now, elope."

"Just like that?" Waters asked, too mildly.

Jeff shrugged. "So it would seem."

Drumming his fingers on the desk, Phillip finally gave up. "There is a new policy - if you check in, you will not just leave without informing the staff. I want all the night personel, security, etc. in a meeting at the beginning of the shift, discussing laxness and so on. Jeff, did Ms-" he paused to smile evilly, "Linda, indicate Sarah's health condition or - if they planned on filing any kind of charges?"

Jeff shrugged. "If she's busy eloping, I'd assume that she feels fine. Didn't mention legalities."

"I see." Waters glared at the assemblage. "Not one word of this leaves this room."


End file.
